The Loneliest Stars || EDITING

Chapter 31

Lima moped around for days, burying herself in creative work. Natalia didn't want to leave her on her own; she hovered over her like a mother hen.  She had no idea what kind of relationship she had struck up with Ty, Lima was generally very open but that was one aspect she hadn't been so forthcoming with. It puzzled Natalia to no end but she knew her friend would tell her when she was ready.

With Ty gone, Gabe had taken Lima and Nat on some very Texan experiences including horse riding, a college football game and hiking. It had been a lot of fun. The fresh air and nature trails left the two city girls in awe of the country experience and the college football game had shown them what America's favourite pastime really was. Lima had come out of her shell a little bit more but not enough to stop Natalia worrying.

Gabe said that her reaction was normal. It was common when a loved one went on deployment and Natalia knew that she could never survive him leaving. Her stomach twisted at the thought. Ty would be okay and back in no time she hoped, and then she could ask Lima what her deal was, she was acting entirely out of character for a man she knew less than a week.

The week had flown by, with school closed for half term and before they knew it, Thanksgiving was upon them. Gabe had always gone to Ella's and this year she had extended an invite to Natalia and Lima too.

Natalia was nervous, she didn't mind spending time with Ella as her boss and friend, but as Gabe's significant other she was at a loss on how to act around her. Especially with her being his dead wife's sister. Fuck. She really knew how to get herself into awkward situations. At least she'd have Lima with her. That made her feel somewhat better.

"You need to chill, you're stressing me out," Lima complained looking up from her sketchbook. Fabrics and trims of all colours and textures were haphazardly strewn around her in the guest room. Natalia had gone in there to get her opinion on her outfit.

"Okay but which outfit says, 'I hope it isn't awkward that I'm dating your dead sister's husband, boss?'"

Lima cackled at Natalia's question. That type of trauma-humour was the exact reason they had made such fast friends when they had met all those years ago. Lima was the other half of her soul.

"The black dress deffo, it adds a certain je ne sais quoi."

"Ayy, lit."

Lima was right. She needed to relax. She saw Ella almost everyday. It wasn't a big deal she told herself. She scooped up the Victoria sponge cake she had baked and placed it in the car.

Gabe had gone ahead to Ella's and they were going to meet him there. She knew that she had been monopolising his company and wanted to give him some alone time with his family.

Two young girls opened the door and Nat recognised them as Ella's daughters, she had chatted with them briefly at the surprise party, they were sweet girls and the older one Kimberly in particular was a funny little firecracker.

Watching Gabe with his nieces made her heart flip-flop like a pancake. He was showing them how to do keepy-uppies in the garden. With endless patience and attentiveness, he would make a great Dad. She shared a knowing look with Lima. Her ovaries were punching her in the uterus, screaming, 'give us one.'

Having been a teacher for almost a decade, she had never particularly felt the pull to motherhood. She didn't have a romanticised notion of it, she knew exactly the hardships that it came with, but God, if Gabe didn't bring that idealism to the forefront of her mind. She could imagine him with their son, doing athletic things or with a daughter allowing her to boss him around much in the same way that he let her.